Can I have a consult?
Good morning. It’s me again. I’m sorry I’ve been gone for a little bit. I didn’t mean to – it just happened cuz of a bit of stuff. It’s about 4 am now and I have until 5:30 am, so God willing maybe I can write a little this morning.
First thing first … everything is pretty much fine. There is one set of scares though. I’ve been real good about going to the Dr.’s offices. This week I had blood work done, plus the mammogram, PLUS my regular 3 month doctor visit. Dr. Albright had to check on several things, because since the last visit we’ve gone through those things, plus heart and stress, arthritis, psychology, foot, and wellness/nutrition.
Skipping to the chase … there were problems with a couple of things hopefully small problems. There was a compression spot on one of my chest x-rays, which is going to mean going back to have another picture taken over again and they are going to need doing an ultrasound of the area. I’m thinking it’s just precautionary, but that and the next were enough to have me in a puddle of tears anyway. The other part was that is that the renal or kidney tests aren’t coming back as good as she would like …
Ok didn’t get so far there … It’s now 4:53 am I googled around for a bit. I was trying to figure out what the tests were indicating past what little the doctor said. She’s worried about kidney disease, but she was trying not to say stuff, but being worried anyway. My BUN came back higher than last time … before 20 and now 23 … I think normal range is from 10-20, but I’m not sure how high it goes. I don’t really want to test that out because I think high is bad though I heard one lady talk about a 36, so there’s probably higher. I don’t think I’m in a race with anyone the concern is that I am starting to show kidney failure – low scale. The create is on the edge too last time it was 1.1 and now it is 1.2 where the good range seems to be between .5 and 1.2. The BUN/CREAT RATIO was 18.2 and is now 19.2 I think this one too you want to be under 20. Also the estimated creatinine clearance is low at 53.20 or GFR of 56.3 or 68.7 (comparing two last tests) …
Ok I’m getting the picture kidney disease seems to be ranged between such numbers.
90 and above to 2-300 something is good. Stage 1
I seem to be in between stages 2 and 3
Stage 2 is between 60 to 89
Stage 3 is between 30 to 59
Hold on I’m doin the math …
Stage 1 and 2 there are often few symptoms early chronic kidney disease is usually diagnosed when there is high blood pressure, higher than normal levels of creatinine or urea in the blood, blood or protein in the urine, evidence of kidney damage in an MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, or contrast, a family history of polycystic kidney disease. Stage 3 they talk about shortage of red blood cells or anemia and/or ealy bone disease *gulp*
I will have to ask for a copy of the report she writes for Dr. Marvin’s meeting today … because she gave me the lab results and they do state there is the higher than normal levels of creatinine, etc. … we were already flippin because of the spot on the breast plus this to think clearly to say that my father’s diabetes … and he had to have a kidney transplant and was on dialysis the last years. So, in this respect I already KNOW then I have chronic kidney disease!
Stage 4? 15-29
Time to begin preparing for dialysis and/or kidney transplant??????
ALREADY?!!!!! 30 to see the specialist 15 says imminent. It says they don’t usually fail all at once – it progresses slowly over a period of years.
Stage 5 less than 15
Kidney failure end stage renal failure
Back we’re showered and dressed and stuff, but Rich says we gotta stop staring at numbers. I say they are real and he says they are negative, but isn’t it real even if its negative???
Ok, Just starting to gather some of the basics ... lots to learn
Pick Up = Day Recruit meets his DI staff and is assigned into his platoon also known as Black Friday
PT = Physical Training
MCMAP = Marine Corps Martial Arts ProgramStrikes, Punches, Chokes, Counter Punches are all a part of MCMAP
CCX = Combat Conditioning Exercise
WFTBN = Weapons and Field Training Batallion
Where our Recruits go for rifle qualification and Crucible
BAC = Bayonet Attack Course
PFT = Physical Fitness Test
SATO = Scheduled Airline Travel Office On Depot travel agency
CO CMDR = Company Commander
Bn CMDR = Batallion Commander
Int = Interior
Prev Mnt = Preventative Maintenance
Terrorism AWR = Terrorism Awareness
Cond = Conditioning
Maint = Maintenance
Innocs = Innoculations
IMM = Intergrated Material Management
REMED = Remedial
End = Endurance
SOP = Standard Operating Procedures
BWT = Basic Warrior Training
IND = Individual
EST = Estimation
EX = Exercise
MOUT = Military Operations in Urban Terrain
SRB = Service Record Book
T1 = Training Day 1
P = Processing
F = Forming
H = House Days
1 recruit training REGIMENT
in the REMIMENT there are 3 BATTALIONS (1rst, 2nd, & 3rd - PI 4th Battalion for the ladies)
Each BATTALION has 4 companies (except PI Battalion 4 has 3 companies November, Oscar, Papa)
In each Company there are PLATOONS
All people in one COMPANY will graduate on one date, but there are generally 500 recruits going through at the same time.(less in the winter).
Or another interpretatioin
The Company designation can be explained from the menu on the left.
Under USMC - Regiment you can see the "Structure" that this comes under.
http://www.marineparents.com/USMC/usmc-regiment.aspMCRD SD is the Recruit Training Regiment ....
That is for all of MCRD SD...The Regiment is made up of Batallions (3 at MCRD SD)
Each Batallion is made up of Companies (12 Companies at MCRD SD)
1st Recruit Training Batallion consists of Alpha CompanyBravo CompanyCharlie CompanyDelta Company
2nd Recruit Training Batallion consists of Echo CompanyFox CompanyGolf CompanyHotel Company
3rd Recruit Training Batallion (batallion color is Yellow) consists of India CompanyKilo CompanyLima CompanyMike Company
At MCRD Parris Island there is a 4th Batallion for our Lady Recruits consisting ofOscar CompanyNovember CompanyPapa Company
At MCRD SD the Company consists of 8 platoons (usually)
The Company is broken into 2 series - the first 4 platoons of a company are one series the next 4 platoons are the other series (this was the case with Darren's Company and may vary in the number of platoons)
Platoon numbers for 1st Batallion start with 1 as in 1004
Platoon numbers for 2nd Batallion start with 2
Platoon numbers for 3rd Batallion start with 3
Platoon numbers for 4th Batallion start with 4
Here are just nosey details you might find interesting...
There are 4 Recruits to a Fire Team
There are 3 Fire Teams to a Squad
The number of Squads to a Platoon depends on how many Recruits are in the platoon
You can take it to the bank
Good morning. Hi this is us. This is the second day without the Internet, except yesterday we sort of cheated. Rich left his computer home so we used his during the day – and man oh man can you believe we didn’t leave it for more than 3 minutes. It has something that signs you off if your gone for more than 5 minutes. It’s got a lot of security features that we didn’t want to mess with so we tried to keep her steady and afloat.
Then THIS morning, we woke up having trouble breathing to find out that ALL the power had gone out in our neighborhood and that lasted for about 45 minutes of “hell.” Oh man … you wanna see someone a little crazy? Take away Internet AND computer! Sheesh! By now the computer is up again … but we had to stay by Rich and his Internet for a while and have him check our email and such just to get into the idea that we weren’t going to go off any deep end. We let him go when he started doing his hard work. We’ve been here going over our writing over the last couple of days – that hasn’t been posted yet. More from Saturday than yesterday. Yesterday as noted … we hugged Rich’s Internet.
We’re still there mentally, but we’ve already got a negative that Rich is going to leave his Internet when he goes to work out of the house. There is always the time he’s taking a shower. Yesterday we spent the entire time he was gone doing a couple of games and such over at Marineparents.com going over the recruit messageboard.
We went over a couple fairly nice size ones from the few surrounding Thom’s – the one’s currently in session like delta (I think that’s the name) and then we skipped back and got into a Goliath size message board – 7 pages from the last time Alpha company were together. They met from like November through February – and will start up with Thom’s session in March – so like must have had a month to do other things. We’re not by any means done with Alpha. That’s what we WANT to do today!
But, COMCAST say’s maybe it will be here between 1 and 3 … Man-o-man.
Rich wanted to go to the Art Institute and all we want to do is read about Alpha company. There’s about 1500 messages to go through … like we said … we’re only about 250-300 in. Feel like there’s real WORK to be doing. I want to understand the experience. I want to know what’s going on in writing to Thom. I find myself sometimes during our free time trying to craft together how we are going to do the letters and how we get others to write or communicate information through us to Thom. I don’t want him feeling cut off. I think it’s a goal they all go through.
One of the parents suggested that there are labels made up with both your address and the recruits and that you send like 10 of them at a time so that the recruit can easily mail them out. They also suggest that you have them handy so that you can pass them out to people who ask about your recruit so they also might take the opportunity to write to your recruit. That is an extremely good idea. That is one of the reasons that I want Thom to meet St. Rose Center before he leaves. I think it would be very cheerful to him to have them write to him and give him a cheering squad backing up his corner. Then to repay – all he needs to do one time when he returns is to show up in uniform and WoW them to pieces! Man wouldn’t that be an experience for them!
I’ve got to keep working on that one. It’s really a good potential for more letters to be going out. I don’t know all the connections he has through his friends and family, but I’d hope to spur Maury, Joe, and Alex on to be doing some good communicating. There is a chance too I think that not only Jackie the step-mother, but Thom’s Dad would be writing – and I don’t think its that far fetch that the father could have some of his friends writing too though that’s a little harder.
I’m just thinking that Thom’s dad was a good letter writer when we were in Norway and there’s no doubt that he has just as much ability now if not more – and certainly he has the time. Since Thom is planning to be gone so much more of his life – it is a good idea to start now.
I am wondering now if I could get Sister’s permission to have Rosa run off some label sheets for Thom’s address. Just they would have to be written by the staff, because Thom doesn’t want pictures or anything else to stand out. Someone else talked about getting correspondence from a brother who was developmentally disabled. It seemed that had been a good thing for everyone. And, there was this other thing about people sharing mail with others who hadn’t been getting mail.
And, that was a good marine thing to do. There was one more thing that I thought was important yesterday concerning mail. It seems that there is a place where they collect mail to give to marines that are sent out with care packages. That seems to be something that I would like to take part of. I think that later I will start writing mail, but I’ll wait until after the Internet is up, because there were suggestions at this one place about things to do and not to do in the letters. I know that I will want to follow general guidelines.
I am a little worried about a post I wrote yesterday trying to support a worried Mom, because I used something Thom had told me for an example. Now I’m worried that it was something that I shouldn’t have said. I woke up with it on my conscious. I have to be more careful with what I say – especially with Thom in bootcamp and with him going into Intelligence. I had said in the note that he was planning to go to Hawaii. I don’t think now that I should have said that. I think if Thom would read that he’d be frustrated with me. I also said something about he separating from his brothers to develop his own identity. While I honestly believe that to be true, that might be a personal thought I shouldn’t have expressed out loud. I’ve just got to learn. And, I’ve got to do it quick, before I upset something. Lordy how I hate secrets. Now … of all things … my son wants to be a secret person. SHEESH!
Hmm, just thinking … this all seems to have been a part of a dream I’ve already had – Thom being a secret person and writing too much information in a community place and that getting somehow involved with my blog. Ok, enough of that … better check on coffee.
Hmm, topped Rich’s, but otherwise waiting on the new batch. We found some yogurt instead … btw … we’ve gotten up to 9 am.
As to the evening last night? I don’t think too much was happening … though we had some very nice omelets with Rich. He made them after he’d gotten back. OHHH and we saw a movie! He hadn’t seen Shrek before and I hadn’t seen Shrek III so we watched that. Hmm, or was that the night before … maybe. Actually, I think it did precede last night, because I remember him saying something about wanting to watch the Knight Rider movie. I can remember the part about sitting down on the lounge part of the couch with my fluffy white blanket rubbing Rich’s back with my right hand and Missy with my left hand … and then the movie was over because it was after 9 pm and Rich was putting us to bed, but we wanted a fudgicle and to watch the next show, hmm I don’t think that lasted too long either. I recall the echo of someone saying something like, “but, we stayed up long this time, didn’t we?!” “Uh huh.” *Sigh*
Poor Rich … no company at night. Lucky he’s always been into a quiet read at bedtime.
AHA! Rich said to someone on the phone he’d be there in an hour or so!
Wow! I was on-line for a few minutes while he showered and got dressed, he warned me and I honored the fact he was going to be getting ready fast and would have to leave with the computer because he IS working! Damn. I didn’t get through all those links giving suggestions on letter writing, but I did find out that you are to address letters:
Dear Marine,
Mailed to:
MarineParents.com, Inc.
PO Box 1115
Columbia, MO 65205-1115
They want letters that are positive and support the troops. They want letters giving positive information on what’s going on back home – such as with books, movies, & music. They want to know what day to day life is like and the want to know how we are supporting the troops. Stuff like that. 3 weeks before Thom leaves seems like a good enough time to start.
I’m a little confused as to the pictures thing, because Thom says definitely not and the others say definitely yes. I have to go with Thom’s definitely no until I hear differently, but I hope that eventually he allows pictures.
Thom’s Letter #1
February 18, 2008
Dear Thom, or Recruit Thom as the evidence may show,
It is now 3 weeks before you ship to MCRD-SD. I am getting a little excited. Well ok a lot excited. Mostly because I know you are excited. There is so much anticipation. I will say this over and over again – I am very proud of you – and I know your family and friends are as well. I will do my best to write often and keep you as informed as I can – and I will try to remind others to as well. You are doing something incredible and I want to make sure that people don’t shy away from your experience because they are in such awe of you. I’m pretty sure that would be the case.
I’ve been reading and reading and will continue to – especially from the site I showed you. I recommend that you pass around to your fellow recruits the link to Marineparents.com to their parents and close friends. It is an extremely good means to the rest of us handling our end of your experience. There is a lot of support for family and friends. One of the things they suggest for letter writing is for the parent – such as me to write labels (I’ll ask the secretary at work how) and the labels will have your address on it and mine – or if you give me the other people on your address book I can preprint their names on labels. She suggests then mailing them to you in small groups in a regular envelope, so you can have them ready to mail out. They also suggest having plenty of extra labels with your address, so we can share them with people who ask about you and who might want to write. I can make sure too that Maury, Joe, and Alex get copies as well to hand out – I could see going as far as placing the labels on pre-stamped envelopes to make it incredibly easy for people to mail you. I think you would get bored if it were only us mailing you.
I hope that over the next 3 weeks I can persuade you to visit me also at St. Rose Center. My intention here is so that you have images of me in my more natural setting and of the people I work with. There are some ulterior motives – in that, I know that some of the groups have written people in the military and that would be another excellent source of letter writers. I think when you get to your humble states; you’ll think of how important this group of people I work with and for really are. They are very devoted to me – and they know have known all along the Ms. Ann has 3 sons. They have once met Joe. They call him my Karate son, because he gave a little demonstration and although that was 8 years ago, that’s still how they think of him. People with developmental disabilities are easier to impress, but I would especially like them to have an impression of you as you are – a recruit, and then later as a Marine – because, I am impressed with you and I want to share this excitement with them.
This would be such an incredible big deal to them – you could not imagine. All the 9 years I’ve worked there – they’ve never had the experience of someone in a uniform walking in – especially a marine – and especially Ms. Ann’s son, and perhaps answering a few questions. A good majority are very verbal and curious. It would be an extremely good experience if you could give a few moments of your time before you left – and once sometime when you return. It’s one of those things that would be a little hard for you, but would melt your heart after having gone through it. Please consider if you haven’t already.
Hmm, have to consider at what time you might read this first letter. I am pretty sure that I will write one special letter that I will give you on the plane to read. That letter you can on the plane and throw out when you are done with it and prior to getting to the depot. I don’t know at this point what special things I will say that I am not saying here now, but I’m not quite ready for that letter.
Ok, we are working through this first letter on form and function for you being gone. I hope that you will see other letters being sent and you will write giving me the ok for pictures. I’m really good at including pictures in the word document as I write. No separate snapshots and you can throw away or share anything that you get. I just think it would be more fun and colorful for you to be receiving. This week – I have to take my digital camera into a place Sr. is recommending in Chicago to make sure it gets fixed. I use it quite frequently. Hehehe Maury and Joe use my little movie video thing more often, but I still think it was a good deal. Maury once sent me a video of Isa crawling into the cookie packages in the lower cabinets that made me laugh and laugh – I took the video and I put it to music. It was very good. I know … you especially, don’t want musical letters. Good Mom!
Another idea the parent site said was to include jokes to make you laugh. I’m not a particular good joke person, but when I get my computer back on-line – I’ll start looking them up. I promise. Same goes for the news. I have to warn you – that one of my favorite news items is what happens to Paris and Britney. I know what? How? Why on Earth could this happen to my mother? Don’t know how to answer that except to say – I’m into psychology and the fates of those two women are like a psychology phenomena of our cultural social stratosphere. Hmm, that sounded pretty good. I think I’ll go with that! Both are pretty messed up – well start there and just add for now they are like paparazzi rag dolls – just one is better at handling it face value. Hmm, it occurs to me now that Thom probably is so disinterested in divas – umm we’re talking Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Ok, we’re moving on. This might be evidence that your mother has some light-hearted views on life.
Ok, let me think how will this go. I think when I get your address, I will send a current letter and I will send the first two letters, and then the next letter will be current and will go out with the 3rd and 4th letter until we get all 21 prior letters out with the current. That way there will be plenty of extra letters. WITH different views. Hehehe … yeah we’re like that. You’ll have to put them together like a puzzle. We’re also thinking that we should limit ourselves to 4-5 pages a letter – or less! I know we write a lot. It’s just the way we are. We’re writers above everything else. We’ll keep the letters numbered from the inside.
Ok, something from home now. Well, you know that my home consists of about 4 people and one I know just barely. I consider Alex part of home – but, mostly how he interacts with all of you. As to Maury – we are just up to the part where he is deciding on jobs between Comcast, AT&T, and maybe Sony or whichever, company puts together Playstation 3. I think that Comcast is the one Maury wants the most because AT & T is a union, but I think he’s gotten further in the door with AT&T. I think the Playstation job putting up displays and answering questions would be fun, but because the training is so intense on AT&T – 12-18 weeks, I am thinking that is going to be the highest paying job.
We’ve been talking to Maury about in his spare time becoming a sports official like Rich. Rich has been officiating baseball, football, and basketball for over 30 years. He says you make about $35 an hour, which is pretty good money for a job that he loves. It’s the money he uses to go fishing, play cards and go golfing … *Sigh* Maury is hopefully going to consider volleyball so he could like do it as to HIS schedule. Rich might do 3-4 games during weeknights and then do 2-3 games on a weekend like right away in the morning while we’re still typing – it adds up to about $12-1500 a month spare change (some games are 1 ½ - 2 horus). I don’t mind the time out because most the time it gives me time at the computer to write or be finishing up overtime at work. Then we get after evenings together and Rich loves his man-entertainment-stuff. I think Maury would like getting out some too – besides he loves being “in-charge!”
As to Joe – we haven’t seen him since his birthday at the beginning of this month. He talked of almost having enough money saved to buy the other partner out of the business. That’s a very positive thing – and I think good for him! He seems to enjoy both the business end and the program end of the Karate business. I think he’s in an ideal position to do something he loves for the rest of his life if he so chooses. Only time will tell what kind of a business person he is, but I’m betting on Joe because he has some common sense. He’s frugal. I laughed when his first instincts were to look at the bills and say “Hmm, this is too much, we’re going to need looking at this.” I could almost hear Sensei Steve saying, “Joe, go at it!” It might benefit Joe to go back and get a business masters. I think he could do it on-line if he could afford to work only at the karate school, but it would be tough and I think Joe really wants to work on relationships … we’ll stop there though.
Now as to Thom. How’s Thom? If Thom is reading this letter you are probably through with receiving, have been doing a lot of drills and running – I’m afraid to ask if they’ve pulled teeth … I just learned about that yesterday. Maybe you are up to the part where you are going through marine history and/or are learning to fight. That and I know there is cleaning involved. I don’t know where you are with all that, but I know your intentions are to be the best at whatever it is that you are doing. I am saying a prayer right now that they are feeding you well and that you are growing as strong as an ox – no time for injuries – but if you do get one make sure to tell someone! You can now write anytime and fill in details, but they are also telling us at the parents’ site that no news is good news because it means that you are hard at work. They are also telling us not to worry because the DI’s are taking such good care of you – they want you to graduate. I’d like to think that looks good on their record. Maybe they just yell a little?
Hmm, I was just wondering. I wonder if the recruiter has a standard presentation that he gives to the parents like me. Ok, we just left a message on your machine.
WOOHOOO!!! We just talked to your recruiter ourselves! First time! He seemed like a real nice guy. He said he’s got two of you in boot camp now. I’ll have to remember that Sergeant Jason Jenson. It turned out my questions were directed in two directions … I needed to know more about shipping out and I wanted to know more about the Intelligence part. He says that he’ll be picking you up on Sunday, the 9th and you will be spending that night in a hotel, because you will be leaving very early to go to San Diego. He said he would like to get there at 8 pm. We would like to make an arrangement then to see you sometime that weekend to say our goodbyes. Should probably be saying goodbye no later that 5 pm or 6 pm so you can be ready, but you might have other plans before that – we’ll have to check.
He says that your job as an Intel guy will be gathering info on top secrets. When asked he said that you don’t go into the combat zones, but that you will be on the base. He says you don’t leave the base because you are like the briefcase with all the money – they don’t want you to get captured, and for the record – neither do I!!!!! Sergeant Jason said that there is one Intel guy per battalion and that you work directly under the CO or commanding officer. I think that is a good idea. He says that while you are in training it will be decided whether you become an Intel specialist and get 12 weeks of training, or if you become a topographical specialist and work in the “vault” for 42 weeks of school. He also said that you’ll most likely be stationed on the East Coast, the West Coast, Hawaii, or Okinawa Japan.
Man-o-man Thom did you manage to do all this? He also reminded us that you could then work for CIA or FBI or that you could stay or train for another job afterward in the Marines. Oh, and he said that most likely you WILL learn another language, but that wouldn’t happen until you get on base.
Hmm, I think I should start over again saying Dear Thom for the amount of time loss staring at this last paragraph. Sergeant Jason says by the way that he writes to all his recruits at boot camp and while I’m remembering they say that the pack floats in the water so there are no problems with buoyancy. I didn’t ask Sgt. Jason that … just something I’d read.
Ok, thinking maybe I should sign off here. There is a lot to internalize with the ideas of all that you are going to be doing. There is no doubt that Sgt. Jason is proud of you I think he calls you “those guys” Hehehe, obvious pride! Those guys do this and those guys do that! All I know is you’re my guy and I’m proud of you doing just as you are with the simplest stroke of a brush or cadence march. Just keep doing what your doin Thom - I believe in you!
Love you to pieces,
Mom
Thom’s friend #1
February 18, 2008
Dear Marine,
Hi! I’d like to introduce myself as Recruit Thom’s Mom. He is shipping out to MCRD-SD on March 10th, 2008 and I decided two things … I would start writing him today and I would start writing to you today in honor of my son who I am so proud of. I have two other sons as well one older named Maury and one younger named Joe. All three boys are between the ages of 24 and 27. With all that said what about you?
I’ve never written to a marine before. I find this pretty exciting. I understand this letter will be coming in with other supplies. Congratulations for getting something special. Not that my letter is over the top, but that something a little different happened today that was nice. From my understanding this letter might be going to Iraq or Afghanistan. If this is the case, or even if it isn’t I would like to say marine … I’m pretty darn proud of you for being where you are anyway! It takes a lot of courage to put you out in the world doing good for others. I believe you’ve made many sacrifices and there are those of us that understand how special you are, because you are our sons and daughters and sisters and brothers and wives and husbands …. And well, you get the idea. This makes you pretty spectacular in our book!
I’m pretty sure others give you the news of what’s going on back home better than I can, but I’ll see if I can add a few more notes. I am on the computer a lot and I use AOL for news highlights. Their top news stories at this moment are:
That a tornado hit the south and damaged 200 homes in Alabama, but thank God, they say there were no casualties. Yikes that’s not so positive – though that we had a disaster that didn’t hurt anyone well, I think that’s reason to believe somebuddies prayers were answered! Another news story over the last couple of days is that Kosovo has been recognized by US and Europe. I’m pretty sure you know more geography than most people, but I read on to find that it involves ethnic Albania declaring independence from Serbia. As well the formal recognition went through with Britain, France and Germany, but not Spain. I think that’s pretty good. Bush is touring 5 countries in Africa including Tanzania. One of his messages is to be investing in care for those against malaria. That seems like a good idea. Hmm, one sports news headline stands out – Newman gives Penske Elusive Daytona Win … that seems like a big deal.
AHA! Here’s one you can take to the bank. It says “Robot Chef Prepares Delicious Octopus Balls” That’s right and it’s happening in Osaka Japan – this is the top technology story of the day :) Please see robot below on next page. The story recommends adding to the kitchen an automatic robot bartender and ice cream vending machine! See there ya go!
Ok, any other must see news? It says that a judge is going to settle McCartney’s divorce. I guess they have been in court last week – ALL week trying to work out some kind of deal – trying to settle on the amount of money Heather Mills is going to get from Paul McCartney – He’s worth about 1.6 billion – she says she wants 100 million … he says he’ll give her 50 million. The judge has now reserved his ruling – he will spend several weeks working out a settlement.
Hmm, Lindsay Lohan poses nude – as Marilyn Monroe … we better not go there. How did we get on the “People” Magazine page?? Let’s just one or two more … Ahh That’s something it says that Former President Bush is going to endorse McCain. Hmm, also saw a headline saying that Obama wins country music entertainer of the year, but after reading it further, I saw it said that it only extended his amazing string of victories and was downplayed when he bumped Dr. Hiroshi Kyosuke for the Nobel Prize for chemistry. We’re thinking someone was pulling our leg there. Ok, so enough news. I’ve got mixed feelings about it anyway.
Just a couple more things I wanted to write about before I let you get back to more important duties. I know they work you hard. First wanted to tell you a little about me and then I wanted to tell you a little more about my recruit Thom.
I’d like to note that I’ve been on my own for quite some time now, though for the last year my boyfriend hehehe it’s ok – we’re safe he’s 57 to my 48 – has lived with me. The cats are still frowning on the amount of massage time he needs. The boys also have been on their own for at least the last 5 years – so they feel kind of grown up to me. I haven’t had any real mothering to do for quite some time. What I do during the day is work at a day training center for adults with developmental disabilities. I’m like a cross between a counselor and a social worker. I also do staff training, program development and specialize in our national accreditation procedures. Mostly what that means is that my desk always has paperwork and if I step out of my office people say, “Hello!” and, they want to talk to me, hug me, or show me what they are doing. It’s pretty cool work.
I’m not sure what you do, or how well you like it. And, I’m not sure how different or similar your jobs were from the one you have now and the one you had as a civilian. Maybe that would make an interesting story?! Or, maybe chow is more on your mind? It’s hard to tell, but at this distance you seem a little closer than when I’d started the letter. I hope you don’t mind.
Joe the youngest is the only one who went to and graduated from college. Like his Mom we both went into psychology. The older two boys went down to the Chicago Board of Trade like their uncles on their father’s side. Thom was doing real well for a time being. Maury said he had made during his peak 2.85 million dollars. He had all the fixins of half million dollar home, Hummer, ATV’s and BMW. He was only 21. He didn’t need his mother’s advice because he had the tiger by the tail. After a couple of years gone by and all that other stuff was gone, Thom decided to learn about computers for a bit. Most of the time he played games with his friends and family on-line … I think the game was World of Warcraft or something like that.
But, at some point … not too long ago – he just changed. He said he wanted to do something that helped people. He even said it was ok to write to him when he was gone - before he didn't always even accept phone calls.
I called Maury about 2 weeks ago, to ask how he and his family were doing and Maury said, “Did you hear about Thom?” I said, “No, I don’t think so – why what’s up?” Maury said, “You better call Thom – He joined the Marines!” The first thought I had was I better pull off the road, because I wasn’t seeing it well. But, in those first few moments Maury stated for his younger brother about 7-8 reasons down the line why Thom and the Marines were good for each other. I couldn’t remember the reasons afterward, but I remember agreeing with each as Maury went through them. I did talk to Thom a few moments later and as Maury suggested – I didn’t add anything negative I let Thom know how proud I was of him for making that kind of decision and commitment.
A couple of days later talking to Maury again (our family center for information –
apparently), he told me that Thom had passed something like 96 out of 99 questions on a Marine test and that he was going to be put in Intelligence. Don’t really know all what that means – except there’s going to be a lot of secrets. They said he could choose anything, but that they’d guide him back to this decision. I thought … it must be pretty important then that he does this. I just nodded when they said; he’d have to go an extra year. I talked to the recruiter. Sergeant Jason explained that he’d be on the East or West Coast, or in Hawaii, or in Japan. They all seemed like real words I was hearing, but I can’t say I understand them yet. I don’t know how your mother and father feel with you being so far away. But, it seems like everything is pretty much a done deal and it all starts – the rollercoaster on March 10th when he goes to boot camp.
I’ve read a lot of material on-line. It seems mostly you encourage them and give them confidence before they go, you write a lot of letters, and you make sure you do whatever necessary to see them graduate. So, that’s what I’m going to do. I figured maybe too … If I could write one letter to my recruit and tell him how proud I am – I could write to you to. Keep up the good work I’m proud of you! I think each is chosen for something special and as a whole it all works together … Just keep doing what your doin Marine – I believe in you!
Love you to pieces,
Recruit Thom’s Mom
Was a little overloaded today - short
Good morning. It’s me. Today is one of those funny mornings … we’ve been up for a little bit and EVEN snuggled with Sir Sweetie. We nabbed him in bed for a few moments after he came back from the bathroom. WOOHOO. I can almost taste him in my mind … yup yup … this is the good stuff … lips brushing against his hair – nostrils flaring … oh not so rated *sigh* I know, but it seems like all that … shhhh we can stop… I know old people and all – crimes of ok, ok stopping…
So the funny part is that our on-line service is down. I was pretty sure that my cable bill was paid – I did it just last month – a couple of months ago AND I thought it was for a couple of months. But, that’s usually if anything that will get me disconnected. So we called Comcast and the fickle-type person says that there computers are down and to call back at 5:30 am. Grrrrrrrrrr… Is that why my computers down … oh no that’s a separate issue … oh so no I got TWO problems with COMCAST??? GRRRRRRRRRRR… _(*Q#&$_(#*$
Oh sure Word Program … right … BUT, I still don’t trust this either. Don’t like this at all … I like my being able to get around.
Hmm, fell asleep there for a while. It’s now about an hour later. – 5 am. I think it’s part Chief’s problem – he’s such a fuzzy navel. But, then too we tend to fade out with strong emotions. And, well losing Internet … we were getting there. AND because its early! Ok, nothing major there.
So, beautiful Sunday morning? Maybe? I think its dark yet … let me check that out? Yup, yup … that be the case. The windows still in back of us so we find it happening without notice. *Sigh* Shoot, we can’t even check out
MarineParents.com? Oh man this is messin us up – ya know? Shhh… I know, I know…
Ok, ok … shhh I know I know … we did our best … it’s now 5:45 am and we’ve been on the phone with the cable guys for the last 45 minutes. The one guy – the nicest determined that our cable box died. I can’t believe it abandoned us like that one moment he was here and then we heard AOL sign off and then he was here no more. We had to make about 5 calls to Comcast to get through what we thought was the best service we were going to get. Sometimes you have idiots who just say sorry the service is down in your area, or the computer is down or some such _(*&#%_(* they are the biggest idiots.
One guy the nice guy was scheduling me and almost had it through and then my phone went dead because there was a bit of a conversation and a hold and I hadn’t been plugged in for awhile. The next guy was like oh he should have known our system was down – well, right? He was USING IT?!! So, I called back the same hoops and bounds way I got the other guy and ended up with another nice guy – must have been a better office. He told me the other guys stuff went through but he said that it looked like not until Monday afternoon with a chance a local person could call about today.
I get so desperate …. I don’t mean to plead with these people, but I feel really deparate … like they are talking about making me wait a whole 36 - 40 some hours of my vacation without being on-line what kind of horrible torture is that??! PLUS there is no music – no relief. If we would have real TV options there would be no cable TV?? As it is I don’t know how Rich’s Sunday morning TV program is affected.
I don’t know … not feeling good again. Maybe it would help to snuggle with Rich? I’m going to try …
Ok, it’s me again. It’s now 10 am and some serious time has passed. Basically, we had a melt-down, but got to somewhere safe first. We crawled in with Rich and slept for about an hour and a half with him. That’s pretty much a record I think. He was soooo warm and toasty. We got up in his space moving at his pace, but trying to hang back so we didn’t get caught up in his whirlwind. Man – that guy moves fast.
After we were both up and in the little take a rest room space – we massaged him up and then he started doing laundry and bills right away then zoomed over to the couch with his TV. We were still guarding against panic without the on-line feature … we went through almost every program on the computer looking for something with visual and sound to compensate our loss of Internet – even trying the old Sim City for awhile.
Then we remembered that we had the Syd Field’s Screenwriting Workshop DVD in our bag that goes back and forth to work. WOOHOO!!! Couldn’t come at a better time. So, we watched the first session of that. I think the guy is very clear and concise. It was going a little fast, but it will be easy to go back over the sections. It’s just that the terminology is new to us. I found the ideas in the first part pretty incredible in our way of brain organizations. It broke down the first parts of a screenplay by three acts and counted out such things as approximately 120 minutes and 120 pages with about 1 page of screenplay per minute … then everything is broken down by simple bit by bit. Things are supposed to happen in almost a formula driven manner. I liked that idea a lot. There are a lot of sections. He says that we should watch the whole series of lessons the first time and then go back and start working through them.
Basically, what we have in mind is another expression of going through the blog and breaking things up in story format. We’re still trying to figure out our special way of making our first jillion dollars so that we can retire in our Somserset home WITHOUT being crowded in the small subdivision in Elgin. We can do it, right?
Whoops Rich is back. He went out to do something or another and has come back with sandwiches
Thom the Recruit
Hi … Its back to me. We’re hopin Thom will be here in about 15 minutes. Plans were on delay … he was somewhere else at noon. We gave him a couple of calls. Joe was at work, but didn’t know where he was and neither did Maury, but right before I left Thom’s place he called to set up another meeting at 2 pm … It’s 1:45 pm now. It was fine … Maury was supposed to be getting ready for a party, but he was talking to me instead about some good news stuff. Thom felt kinda bad for putting me out, but we felt good in saying that he was worth the wait. Ya know … he really is!!!
Nothing else to spectacular on that trip … But, some of Maury’s good news is that he’s getting out of his financial jam. He’s talked to his uncle. I don’t know if the uncle realizes the horror he put Maury’s family through financially, but he’s saying to come back until he gets another job – even if he has to take off for job interviews whatever. He says he’s doing better. I told Maury he’s still an addict, but take the $2000 to get him past the bill crunch. That part’s a God send. Take it that none of them offered to help financially – especially the father, but they are letting him earn his way out of the other’s floundering… Hmpf! *Sigh*
Ok, let’s not go too far there.
Anyway … Maury’s been doing good getting around. He’s been out to a few places he’s dealing right now with Comcast, AT & T, and Panasonic or Sony. Hehehe I guess he has an interest in all things electronic. I didn’t think he was pinning it down, but I’d say now he was. I think he’s most interested in Comcast, but has a surer in at AT & T, but is willing to look at any of them with the best package. I am PRETTY sure he’s willing to look for some job security. He needs some ability to move forward, earn good money, benefits like vacation and insurance, AND school! Hehehe AND he’s lookin for someone to pay his electronics bills. I didn’t want to tell him that’s probably only getting him like a 10% discount if any, but if that’s motivating him go ahead.
I’m most enthused about AT & T, though I’m not so sure I like AT & T … I’m not ready to buddy up to them yet. They lost me in two years not getting phone service over a stupid error. Maury says it’s a Union job … he’s afraid not much room to move up, but regular pay increases. Some kind of cable technician I think They are filling up a group to educated – Maury knew there were 11 to pass the first mega set of tests, but he wasn’t sure how many passed the interviews. He knows he passed and they are collecting a group of 80 people to school together. Obviously all those won’t make it. I think these people are going to do some real physical work out in the field and I’m not sure what the hours are going to be like. But, we’ll see what the money and security package is like. Maury liked another job where they were talking about setting up playstation 3’s in stores. Yeah. Pretty sure the job learning up to 11-18 weeks setting up AT & T wiring would pay better AND it’s nice to know he’d be paid for that time so it wouldn’t bust anyone’s piggy bank. I’m not sure though … Maury’s a brown-noser like me so I’m not sure how well he would be received in a Union. Have to decide who was buttering his bread. We’ve been on management side with Rich and seen how much he fights against Union. I don’t know we’ll see.
Hmm, Thom will be here any minute. I am really looking forward to him being here.
He said something interesting and admirable. I was figuring out loud whether or not it be ok – without Rich here to invite Thom without moving around Rich. I know Rich would clear space for family, but he was gone. Before I could say that though … he said just let him know if he should pick up another sandwich. Wow. That was pretty positive.
That’s probably the biggest news of the day. I’m not sure if I mentioned it much earlier – we were so excited to set up a group going to CA. We’re talking about the part where Rich is hedging that he might be ready to meet the boys. We hardly breathed when he said it. We’ll have to go back in our Ann-way and diagnose what was said. This is probably the most major thing in our life’s together with the boys. It has to be just right. I told Maury about it, but he was pretty matter of fact and I think Thom is going to be too, but I’ll want everything really good. I think what happened was that I’ve been thinking back and forth quietly to myself if Rich would actually go – could he would he actually go with me to the ceremony … I didn’t want to ask, because that might break the spell of thinking that he might. I didn’t want to feel the disappointment.
But, this morning, we were sending out that request to figure out the cost and we were pretty much in-depth with our thinking … and we just kinda went in and leaning over the kitchen counter and talking to him when he was in the middle of straightening out all his bills … we sorta said, umm are you going to be able to get off all those days, cause we pretty much figured we should go Wednesday and come back Sunday. He said that seems a long time, and I said, I know but we’re already in California – don’t get there often and he said I sure hope I don’t have a fishing trip … my mind started to panic … I figured he was trying to get out of it … I hate conflict. I think it was very painful for both of us turning those pages – but, we got to the right June pages and there was nothing there. Very efficiently, Rich took his pen and marked VACATION across Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday. Then later, we clarified that was only 4 nights, right? That’s not so much?
Somehow though we both got to the bedroom. Rich said that we had to realize that JVS had CARF in June. We felt a heaviness. What exactly did that mean? It took him a while to explain it. It was simply said most likely the first time, but we needed to hear it a couple of times explained one way or another, before we could let ourselves understand it. Mostly it meant that JVS is freezing all June vacations until they figure out which days CARF is coming and there would be NO VACATIONS on those days. There would be no way Rich as a manager with responsibilities could go with me if it fell on CARF inspection days.
So even though it seems like this could be the best deal in the world that the guys are finally finally finally going to meet – it could all be for nothing! Plus there are the complications. Now not only for Thom, but for this other thing would it be important. And, then it begs the question – since he’s going to meet them, does it have to be in San Diego? Could we have a meeting before Thom goes? Oh man ya just gotta know that’s going to be asked! I know Maury’s been open … Pretty sure Joe would say, sure, why not? And, Thom’s just made this last statement … should I bring an extra sandwich … so there will be no doubt on the most exciting day of his life … more would be better. Rich said not too much after that humble statement that he might go to the ceremony – which means YES!!!! He said next, that he doesn’t know if the boys would want him to be there. We tried not to get excited. We were too dumbfounded. We kept our voice low – still not thinking we should really be breathing. We said … “We’ll just ask! That’s pretty simple then.” And, then we kinda just moseyed out of there … we didn’t want him going backward … this was the farthest we’d ever gotten with him on the subject … it was pretty incredible. Sure wanted to take it forward!
There’s still the inevitable Annpsychology. Trying to figure out the man thing. Maybe we’ll ask Thom … he’ll know the manversion … umm IF he gets here … he’s late again 2:20 pm … eh just more time to write out these fantastic events. See this is what happens to be part of my family … things turn on a dime. It’s like when Rich comes home and we figure out if we’re having hamburgers or shrimp, or going out or maybe over to the zoo, or are going to hear about his mother. You just never know what is going to happen. When you get cut out of things – no information coming in – its like being blind-sided – in some senses you stop growing … at least in the same direct way as the others … not saying there is bad or good to that, but it is lonelier.
I think that should be understand with the brothers going into the service … we have to make sure that they become letter writers. I remember that feeling of being in Norway and waiting on letters. They were extremely important. I hope today that I can find from Thom some of the things that he’ll be interested in … maybe I can help him keep up? Probably most of the stuff will have to be from his inner circle though. Think that’s where it’s happening … still Mom’s on the outside. Just I don’t know if the others can be as regular as Mom’s. Mom’s can be pretty faithful when it comes to their sons and daughters. Well we’re just guessing on the daughters, but we’re thinking that way. We’ll have to talk to him also about having a family picture with him and his brothers – maybe Alex for his foot locker. I want to be in a picture though … want to be part of his family … not just the one that we need to keep protected – left out in a quieter space. Hmm, maybe we raised them that way? I don’t know … was I such a tough Mom that they had to keep their life from me? Yeeks?! Ouch better not go there either – Nothing negative today, remember?! Thom’s coming!
I hope he’s ok? Ok, shhh, remember we weren’t going there? Just kids aren’t as much on time? Hehehe Marines will straighten that out! Poor kid.
Ok, what else do we want to get straightened out. Ohhh yeah well let’s just think a second about Rich … on the car way home we were thinking just about the part about the boys now being more grown up that he wants to meet them – I don’t know I think there is something about the situation now that he is very proud of them.
Holy Schmolly … I’m back It’s about 4:40 now … Thom just left. He was here about 2 hours. I guess he called and called, but I didn’t hear my cell phone. I’d left it in my purse stuff in the kitchen … but one way or another he was here. Oh man … what a kid! My little heart just goes pitter patter.
There is so much, so much I just feel overwhelmed in joy … but, I know it’s like this with Maury and Joe and Rich too. Just right now it’s Thom and I’m feelin it pretty strong. So gosh darn proud of him. He’s changed – changed a lot, but then he hasn’t things are all mixed up in my head. There was one point we were trying to talk about the difference between himself as the Board of Trade “business” person like his Dad, now he’s more the humanitarian person like his mom – talking about saving lives – mostly that of fellow military. I don’t know when all that really started … I just know that its there now. He talked about if he was going to die he wanted it to be in some business that was doing something important with a few others in a secret manner than in an out loud manner with 40 others. We talked about him dying. I told him that I’ve known him ever since and I motioned to his being a two year old – mostly by the one word, honor. He had mentioned the word and it had triggered ours. I said you’ve always had it and something like that you would do something now like die for it, I could understand. But, then they would still have to put me in the hospital for a while … and then I had to stop because I started to cry some like now. That be my Thom.
We did go over the part to of flying out to San Diego … he tried to say something about the farthest thing from his mind and that he heard something about and was going to recommend against and didn’t even know to ask cause of expense and such, but then we were like, whoa Nelly … hold on … Umm Thom … Graduation is June 6th and we are going to be there with bells on. We’re already figurin it out … because and then we started breaking it down in our slow and fumbly bumbly way. Then we talked about contributing $3-400 toward a room for anyone else and that people should be starting to figure out how they can do it, because the marines said they want all the families there … That part was for sure! We talked a lot about what was stuff we’d read.
He seemed interested in the site that we’d found from Marineparents.com I can imagine he might want to tell his dad and Jackie about it … It sounds like Jackie his step-mother is going to be the motivator on that side of the fence, because when we brought up letters earlier he said that he was passing information to and from his friends, but he said he figured eh … they were coolin off like in 2-3 weeks. He said, that he figured only 1-2 letters from his brothers – maybe a little more from Alex and he had hoped not any from Bob. I’ll never understand the boys in relationship to their step-brother. Sometimes they seem to like him and sometimes not. I think Thom explained it today in that he chose a bad relationship with a girl and it went downhill from there.
Basically though … Thom thought that Jacki and I would be the only ones that would be writing letters to him seriously. That made me feel secure in my relationship, but sad too. It was like the first breaking away of reality for Thom. It came up again in another way. Somewhere during the conversation we were talking about 10 day leave. Thom said he didn’t think he was coming back here again. I think that is going to be a very sad thing if it happens like that because it means I won’t see him again. But, he talked of maybe going to Hawaii for leave – he commented on going alone or without his brothers. And, I acknowledged yes they would need to go home and back to work. I also added that maybe he would find new friends – marine friends that he would go with … and he said yes that’s a possibility.
I think though that Thom’s got in his mind that he’s now a world traveler and I think that may be the case. It fits him now that he doesn’t have a home per say. I think his brothers and friends have absorbed his things. Thom very poignantly talks of leaving just with the clothes on his back, his social security card, driver’s license and recruiter’s number. He says he probably won’t have a dollar bill in his pocket. He’s not planning to have anything, because he’s pretty convinced and I’m thinking he’s right that it would be taken away from him - though they might take nothing as a sign as being a smart-aleck. Another time I told him they were going to spot that ego – could have said a million dollar ego and take care of that right off the spot! But, I don’t mean anything mean here … Thom is about as honest as they come.
He talked about taking on leadership roles after he figured out what was involved.
He has desires to be the strongest, the best, and all. He could be, but I could also bet that he will find others that he’ll admire. I think it is well noted you go in as a “me” and come out as a “we.” Thom says he’s at his heaviest now having gone up to 140. He’s thinking the marines could help him bulk up to 170 … wow!
Thom’s was running up to 10 miles a day, but 3-4 miles at a time. He stopped that because he was hurting his knee, but he’s still working in the weightroom. He wants to build especially his upper body. I asked him what he was doing with his time and he said not much and I guess that might be a problem, mostly I think he just wants to get going. We asked him to come down to the center with me and meet my work.
But, he said probably not, but we’ll try again. I think it would be more eating of humble pie as he calls it. He had talked about cleaning his barracks with Q-tips.
When we were talking about the death stuff … we talked about insurance. He has to sign his $400,000 or so over to someone and he’d pretty much decided that he didn’t need to give that to his brothers that they should do for themselves. And, I agreed and I told him as I should do for myself – unless he had $10,000 for burial expenses. That’s all I would ask for, but even that half-heartedly. I said that the money and he’d already thought about it and agreed that it should go to Austin, his son … well at least some of it to Austin. He thought that $100,000 should go to him for educational scholarship, but then maybe the rest of the money should go to his ex-girlfriend – Austin’s mother for her to buy her home – even if she was married. He wanted to do that for her, because he thought she had really done the best for them all in their relating.
I thought that was like Thom … noble.
Thom said that he met them over at the recruiter’s to sign some papers and he talked to Austin about joining the marines. Austin asked if he might go to Iraq. Thom said he might. Austin asked if he might be one of them who would die. And, Thom said yes. So, Austin said that he hoped that his dad would be one of them who wouldn’t die. Thom told him “me too.” This kid and even HIS kid are pretty damn cool.
I’m going to meet him one day.
But, can’t go there now …
Thom talked about wanting to be in a relationship again … not right away, but some day. He said that he’d be interested in learning 3 languages. He doesn’t know if he could learn languages, but he would like to know Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish.
Wow – Ok, Thom !!! He’s now interested in an Asian wife – someone who is educated, but still more feminine, I think – but don’t quote me there. He did say he and his girl would work out the logistics of home and him being involved in secret business in different parts of the country. I think Thom is seeing himself in a role as a secret person – though he talked quite a bit about being a sniper. He said that he could see that if it turned out like he was in the top 2% there. He liked the odds at being 1000 yards away from someone and shooting them before they shot his fellow military men or women.
We talked about Thom taking lives and if he could live with himself and all … Thom thought he could after the first one. I told him that’s the kind of stuff that could really mess with your head and he agreed and said that affects a lot of people that go into the business. He said something about shooting and then and here he gave the corresponding gestures “run like crazy!” Hehehe good boy!
We asked him about what he thought of President Bush. He had a weak position, but basically could see nothing against him. He had his strongest position as being against Americans who said after the war in Iraq that we should be out of it – he thought that was cowardly. Where were they after 911. He softened the tone for me saying yes there were people like me who even WITH 911 didn’t believe in going to war. I think he sees that point. But, then we talked about delegates for president now. He didn’t know McCain – nor did he associate McCain with Bush as both being republicans. He knew pretty well that he wasn’t for a woman president, but his logic was that she had accepted it was ok that her husband had these – he assumed more – sexual affairs. I didn’t ask about his thoughts here on me having a sexual affair so long with a married man. Let’s not go there right now, k? Then he had some pro-things to say about Obama. Seemed like he’d listened to a good handful of things about him … maybe more young adult orientated, but we had no problem with the logic. Just didn’t think in general Thom spent a lot of time with politics. That wasn’t supposed to be a big deal amongst the parents in marine parents group, but I suppose it will come up in Thom’s training. I made sure he knew that we supported Obama. I ignored the Bush factor.
Thom seemed in a good mood all the time he was here. He finished the sandwiches fast … He had 1 ½ as planned and he gave me a half. Good boy. Thom said that there were only a few things he had to learn before going in, but he skimmed for me a parent brochure I had here about what was happening at boot camp. He also read through the schedule. He has about 14 rules that marines follow – maybe all military? I’m not sure … he knew a few … seemed like how to process the regular work schedule like starting the day through to handing over the work to the next shift. And it seemed he had to know the hen-pecking order of the ranks … he had put in some work there, but I figured he would learn it more quickly.
I am already losing a grasp on some of the things that were said … maybe I will remember more when it is earlier. Right now it is 6 pm and we’re hoping Rich will come home … we’ll remember different things with him. There was so much more … I’m afraid of losing my valuable Thom “stuff” I made sure he knew that we wouldn’t be satisfied with this being our last visit … he said he would see what he could do … I’m pretty sure he was going to work with us. I was happy with the amount of information he seemed to take in of the info they had given to him in their training sessions and “movie/videos.” I think that Thom is very capable of learning. At one point we were talking of the points of being broken down and he talked of his step-brother and how everyone gets drained until they sleep/pass-out at some point back in the barracks – again lots of cleaning. Thom seems excited by it all. He said something else interesting he talked about probably not going to like his drill sergeant, but then looked forward to him saying afterward that one nice thing about Thom that he couldn’t say before. It made me wonder though about the relationship that he held with his dad.
Ahh Special baby’s called … It’s my duty to pick out a redbox movie on-line … better get going he’s pretty close to home now. Take care!
Pretty much going toward the Rollercoaster Ridin feelin here
Good morning. This is MI and it’s SATURDAY!!! AND, it’s a THREE-DAY WEEKEND WOOHOOO!!! Just can’t beat that … cept to say … my lover-lips is layin cozily about in bed in the next room – whoa! Steamy!
Hmm, now we seem to be getting lost on that point. Ahhhh…
We’re still into John Mayer … we’ve just discovered him Wow what a find! As a soloist it looks like he goes back 9 years ago. Can’t be much further back than that – he looks too young … Not my type, but probably has a few girls at the edge of their seats. Ok, let’s not spend our morning there. Hmm, Chief seems to be wanting to do the keyboard this morning. He has his paw resting over the middle of the space bar so it goes down each time I press it … oh oh … there goes his sister now there is no order in this world … she was scratchin the couch so we had to move him to stop her.
Ok, there was no way to save that moment … we’ve moved ahead to the next set … we’re 20 minutes down the line. We had breakfast of Rich’s leftover chicken and spaghetti – and before you get to thinkin it was overboard – it was a half chicken breast and about 6 forks of spaghetti hmpf! BUT, then there was the opportunity to get another one of those chocolate covered strawberries! WOOHOOO! We used it as an incentive to take our medicine and we also got some fresh coffee and used the washroom. Very productive 20 minutes! Oh, yes … I know … we brushed our hair and washed our hands like four times … yes good girls … noooo no more rewards … I’m sorry heeyyy no more frownie faces … one strawberry at a time is enough. You heard me … shhhh
Hmm. Just thinkin of one of our clients – the one that we’re working with for at least the time being … not sure where we left off with her, or if she was mentioned.
Oh ok … I found it … I’d written a paragraph on it on Valentine’s Day … Good day to start … well there’s more to it and we might as well start there, but what I was just thinking of was keeping a log … I am thinking that one of the reasons she may not be taking a shower is that either the water heater is not working or she doesn’t know how to control the hot water part, because she shivered when I asked her about the shower and said “cooollld.” We’ll have to look for other consistencies toward that direction. I do honestly believe she told me honestly about having taken a shower, though I’m not sure how good the showers are. She might just be dabbin
As to the catch up on that one … The first and second sessions one on Thursday and the other on Friday went very well. We had previously made a chart and so we put it on a clipboard in an easy to find place for the client next to the printer. To it we added her calendar and we also ended up leaving a list of all the people that she would be interviewing with the tape recorder. We also stopped at Walgreen’s that first morning and picked up a brand new brush for like $3.29 and comb set … really nice little “air drying” brush and comb – purple too! She’s loves it. We watch her gingerly brushing her hair … she looks a little sensitively as if she’s not used to doing it. Hmm, That’s a thought. I wonder if Sr. would allow me to put a mirror on the back of my door. I’m not sure because it would face out toward the next office when the door is open, but I’d like to think it over and see if it’s worth a second thought. It would be good emotionally to get people to see what we are seeing.
Anyway. Wow … there’s so much to say with this one both personality and goals.
Going to need keeping it straight.
Let’s see from the beginning …
Whoa … had to wait a minute. Rich is up!! But he could only do us for a few moments. He let us message him for abour 8-9 minutes and play about 2 minutes, but then our guy was beggin for mercy – he was saying something like COFFEEEEE, I haven’t had my COFFEEEE!! Ok, player two point. We let him smooch something soft and then let him be to wake up in front of his computer and coffee we poured for him … *sigh* I supposed I could really understand that need. Poor baby. Hehehe he woke up with a dream about not feeding all the flowers or something as his job … I could see the pressure put upon him! EVEN in his SLEEP!
So anyway stretchin out to a very nice morning … It’s 7:30 am. I think I’m pretty much clear until hmm. Be at Thom’s about noon. Should leave maybe 11-11:10 … want to make sure we have enough time to stop by the car wash. Love the $3 one just a couple blocks away from the boys place … most often I’ll stop by there so they don’t have to get in a messy car. Right now my car looks camouflage black and white splash dots. Blends in with Chicago city streets and pot holes. Better to be early than late. Hmm, better check my bank account to see how we are there. WooHoo … $1188 … cleared. This has to go for bills mostly, but it means that I don’t have to borrow money from Rich to pay for dinner with Thom. That’s a good deal. The big bills seemed to have gone through ok and there are no overdrafts. Feel pretty good about that.
We stopped by at the H & R Place last night … we had them take out the $134 or so payment out of the money we are to receive and we opted to get our money back in 8-15 days so as not to take out the extra charges just $30 or so, but basically, since we’re just paying bills we decided it would wait. The money will be automatically deposited in our account. We’re lookin forward to the big one being paid to our government debt … that will be the big deal. I think how it is going to swing is that we’ve now paid of the dental bill and we’ll pay off the dental surgery bill – small one and then just make a small installment – continuing on the school loan and instead give Rich $600 for the money toward California. Then when we get the rebate from government we’ll pay off the school at that time if there is enough money.
We’ll have to hope that $600 is enough on our cut.
WooHOO … just progressed that part … I went to SATO travel and submitted a request for information as to travel for Thom’s graduation date … They say to wait until closer to the time though to make sure he’s going to make it and there are no physical injuries – so that he’ll graduate on schedule.
Oh mannnn … we’ve been responded to!!!! Look at this!! (CLICK ON IMAGES FOR FULL-SIZE)
I’ve been read and responded to!!! I’m so happy … hmm maybe I’m supposed to talk back now … or just listen? I’m not sure … Feel like I would like to talk. Maybe I should give it a try. Hmm.
Hmm, like everything else now it’s a little of wait and see. I’m pretty sure my post will get approved.
Ok, didn’t realize how far into the morning we’d gone … so we did a few more things and then went through the shower routine and got dressed. It took about 40 minutes. We’ve got about 20 minutes now. We talked to Rich too. He’s saying some good things and some not as good things. He says that we were gone along time, but its just four nights and two of the days will be Thom stuff – the other time I would like to get some visiting time in. They won’t compare to Thom stuff, but it’s not often you go to California. He marked out Wednesday through Sunday, but then through in a curve ball. He said JVS won’t let anyone mark out January days until they know when CARF is scheduled in – sometime in June. He said nobody can go those days … that would be scary to make all the plans and than not to get him. And, there was something really good. He said that he WOULD go to the ceremony with me, but he added that he’s not sure that Thom would be happy to see him. I can’t believe that it was said that casually that he would meet one of my boys. Now the deal is to figuring out how to get the other two boys there – if not Alex. I don’t know that seems impossible. They could rent a room together … wouldn’t that be so neat? Would need a room for at least 3-4 nights. That’s about $360 plus transportation, car and food. We gotta start pulling for them. Maury will be the toughest – hard to say, he should get money when he’s out of a job askin for money.
But, he should be able to go, but then there is the question Lauren is going to pose – what about her and the girls? But, that would mess up because there would need to be another room. Another $360, plus more airflight.
Shoot – don’t know how to do that. Depending on the cost of airflight … we’re figuring that if the boys could get together on it that we could get back $1900 from taxes pay $900 to government, $700 to Rich for us and $300 toward boys, or enough to cover 3 nights hotel. Then they would have to figure out cost of next part. It would be some help – then if Lauren went with she’d have to do it WITH them, but we’d hope she couldn’t take off 3 days work – maybe not Maury either, figuring he’s going to be in a new job. But, then if at least Alex, Joe, and if Alex can afford it for his girl – then the three of them – and/or if Bob wants to bunk up with them … but basically, what I’d offer is one room for whomever. That might be enough motivation for them to start saving up or beggin their other family for matching funds … that would be a good motivation for Thom – wouldn’t it? Think though they’d have to keep it to like 4 per room … not sure though, they are young and springy.
Hmm, how does that sound? I wish I knew what our cost is going to be … about $500 for hotel, shoot planes gotta cost at least a couple hundred even on discount – would hope that’s round trip. We’d have to see. Maybe volunteer $300-400 toward rooms though … see what Thom says.
Ok, better get going … 11 am!!!!
The day buzzed by
Good morning. This is me. We’re only going to do a little writing this morning. We want to see how we are doing. Lots of stuff going on that isn’t getting written down since we’ve been working hard to get everything in tip-top shape for the State inspection. We’ve got just a couple more things to do today that will be our goal of the day. We have Thinking Group later this afternoon at 1 pm and that’s pretty much it of the formal stuff. We need to get back one more signed document, but that should come back this morning. Otherwise, we’ve got one more February Qnote that straggled in late yesterday and we’ve got one more set of three goals to do over that we talked over late yesterday with Sue.
That’s not too bad, right?
After that we are going to start figuring out what else we do with our pro-life after we are caught up … we just aren’t caught up so often it’s like a whole new ball of wax. I think the preliminary parts are to …
Do the groups – primarily for the time being Thinking and Staff training (Circles on hold)
Keep up with the Qnotes and client files
Get out and check up on the goals more often
Get back to being out in the rooms to work on learning for the individuals served – toward program planning
And
CARF!!!
I think those are the big ones … anything else?
Ok, maybe just general or organizational – that’s always a matter of scoping toward what we want to be getting to.
Oh COOL!!! Our client just brought in the last of those papers toward the annuals. Just need some medicals in.
Postscript - Ok, I think the rest of the day might take more explainin
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!
Good morning … Just me and Chief signing in … HAPPY Valentine’s DAY!!!
Just wanted to say that!!! Oh no, it’s ok I really had to … you are such a nice listening audience. Thank you I appreciate what you do for me day in and day out. I hope you are having smooch times with your lovers too and the romance dance continues in your hearts for many years to come!
Chief says ditto and I’m pretty sure if Missy were awake she’d say tritto!
*Sigh*
Ok, ok … back to the business. In splashtastic news – Rich and us had some good play time last night. He sure does shiver my timbers. Man-o-man. I know I say this all the time, but he’s definitely the lover for us. No words necessary – just imagine the most sensual scene, shake and stir and plop in some well deserved smooches – and you got the whole story. Wow! It’s like that!
There’s some word that he might be back again tonight?? I don’t know … he didn’t mention the official plans, but someone was saying something like chocolate covered caramels spaced apart by marshmallows would do the trick – mind you not a lot, but just the right amount. Pswhoo. We’re so easy to please.
As to the rest of the day … we were on the mark most of it. We fell into a space where we were going through some Thom stuff … can’t help, but to have him on our mind. We learned too that we have to make sure to send him care packages, which seems to be no cost involved, but we have to order it through somewhere …we’ll find out where later. It’s accessible. I think they are recommending 6-8 weeks. And, it’s to be done after boot camp. We got into the message boards and found one that had just been put up for MCRD for Thom’s graduating class. There were four comments made in there by volunteers, so we made our first comment … Its very similar to the posts made at the master’s program. We designed a new screen name so people wouldn’t attach it to here. We want to make sure our spy son stays secret. I was happy when the small not got approved! Woohoo!!
Next, we really did get some work done … we completed all the paperwork and typing necessary to get the February Qnotes done IN FEBRUARY!!! Well, all except one … Maria wasn’t done with one of her clients/my clients so she said she would do it right away this morning if that was ok. I don’t like that it took her so long or that I’d have to come looking for it – especially because it’s a note from January, but no reason to go overboard on it. Just that Maria will only put in a few sentences
If Maria had turned in the paper – I felt as if I could have gotten all the Qnotes done in one day. As a seasoned Q – there is no reason not to get everything done in one working day with a caseload of 10. I felt really really good about it though. Not to say there isn’t room for work. I would like to get back out into “the field” to check on where some of these goals are because I don’t think many of them are being taken seriously.
I asked Sr. and she gave me permission to take over the goals of one of our clients from Theresa. Theresa reminded me we had talked, but I’d forgotten that part – I hadn’t found the paper we’d wrote when we were cleaning up the office. But, basically we were frustrated with her going 4 months without writing a goal data sheet – showed low sticktoitness. If it had been Cathy or Sue … they wouldn’t have let that go – and I appreciate that in them. So – we start that this morning. It should be good for both the client and me. I’m real happy with how its working out with one of my other clients. She comes in two days a week for a computer goal … I’m not happy that her DSP is messing with the music we print out, but that’s another issue. I’m happy she is progressing with the work and I’m getting this very cool image of how she thinks and especially that she IS thinking! I thought she could but the several staff that has had her was convinced otherwise.
But, other than that … It’s time to go already AND want to be spreadin some Happy Valentine’s Day around!! WooHOOO!!
My world is circular!
Good morning. This is me. I think we’ve been up for a bit, but it’s about 10 after 4 am now. We’ve bee at the computer nappin sorta with Chief. I think it’s his plan to get us up so we can pet him in our sleep. AHA! Damn sneaky cat! We just roused him to get to the keyboard and whoops … there he goes down again … yup nuthin harder than keepin a tired putty cat up when they want to be nappin.
We were reading some of the hard new stuff … can’t help, but to be sucked into the political stuff to some degree. Our guy O’bama is turning heads out east. Go O’bama!! Pretty impressed with what they are doing too with maps and graphs and such on-line now days. I started by pressing a link to a picture of O’bama front and center on the AOL News things. He’s got their top shot for sweep the “Potomac” Contest. So we are led to a democratic primary results map. This looks real encouraging because O’bama is in orange and is starting to really cover the majority of the Midwest and a good part of the SE and into the East coast. So we click on one of the states – naturally IL is our top choice.
Here we learned that 65% of the voters voted for Obama and IL has 187 delegates. We could just as easily flip over and see the full candidates to find the exact count meant 1,301,954 people voted for O’bama and 662,845 for Hillary and also then that Barack got 100 delegates and Clinton 47 so that meant the Republicans got like 40 delegates? I’m not sure cuz I thought they all got thrown over to the winner, but maybe that’s in the end. By pushing on the candidates name it sends you to a place where you can rank the candidates who have the best shot at making it to presidident. Ok, cheap shot on our party mode.
Before we left the map area we also played with the money map put out by the federal election commission. Man-o-man those people are serious about their maps … probably one of the sweetest on the net so far … you should give it a try. It gives all the stuff you expect, but it’s visual is like different size bubbles representing the size donation the state has given in total contributions. You just have to hover to get the total or press to get closer in version. Man this is sweet. It gives you the opportunity to offer zip codes. Ours is like a whopping 1053 entries – but you are putting in just the first three numbers of the zip like ours is 605 (13).
What you get from this is a list of EVERY SINGLE person that has donated to the campaigns of whomever – what their job is – for what company, their city, date, and how much donated. It is the coolest thing … talk about jumping on the band wagon. I want MY name to be on there now too! Then of course you can cut up the pie anyway you want – rep/dem, candidates, and counties. Oh man we’re just looking at the tip of the iceberg was just at their sitemap. Here you check them out … we got to move on www.fec.gov/sitemap.shtml
Pshwoo!
Ok, neeeed to move on. Yesterday … what about yesterday? Hmm, Rich came home about 6:30 pm. We were reading about Obama. He said that he got to the game about 10 minutes late so he was replaced. Yeeks. That sure did put him in a bad mood. But we worked with him some … And, he wanted to watch a TV show that was featured some how – the original on the computer … so we watched that … well maybe some of us watched … most of us were under the blanket only peeking out a little. It is the one where the town or some area around it gets nuclear attacked … MANOMAN… we’re going to be against that idea. Like if I have spare time I wanna to see THAT kinda stuff? Why does anyone wanna make their bodies and minds more tense then they already are? I just never understood suspense and horror – or finances for that matter. YEEKS!
I think Rich watched something else because I remember him saying that he put me to bed in a half hour and we don’t remember him watching his other show at 9 pm. Maybe he watched it in his bedroom? Now if he’d of had POPCORN!!! Now that we could have smelt in our dreams!!
Yesterday we got some more work done at work. WooHOOO!!! We finished up the cleaning of our office – at least at the surface level that we were working on – which is about desk top layer thick. AND, we took care of wait … DRUM ROLL!!! Ok, after 4 months … we took care of those last couple of outstanding annual reports. I know … no big deal, right? We’re so terrible. I just don’t know what gets into us. We get in our mind that something is too hard or difficult and it doesn’t get done, but in reality getting these two reports done were like a half days’ work. THAT’S ALL! We found out that one of them was just a paragraph away on the report and one goal from being straightened out and of that one goal – we’d already outlined it in with the DSP. Man – how silly can we get??
We set it in our mind to get done with the paperwork from both annuals and then we set it up with the DSP – she had both clients – to get done the paperwork for the first client after the program hours last night and tonight for the second client. SHWEET! I even stayed last night the extra 20 minutes when I realized that I hadn’t done the extra goal data sheets on the first client. You need the goals done to get those finished, but I will have this last client’s goals done tomorrow after today’s meeting. Today, I will focus before the meeting on getting the rest of February’s Qnotes done – not behind, but caught up notes. And, then if there is time, we will make sure the Chrononotes are filed. The letters asking for doctor’s reports went out yesterday.
We tallied up our clients and showed the list to Sr. yesterday. We had two perfect clients. We had then 3 more that would be perfect if we had dental forms, but since dental is only required by the agency and not the state, they were like perfect too – so that made 5 perfect. Then there were 3 more that needed doctor – well actually 4, but one of those was going in on Thursday. As of the others … one doctor expired March 1rst, one expired February 28th, and one already expired February 2nd. So, on any of those … I’m not really going to get torn out of shape. They could come in before the expiration date and at worst I’d get a slap on the hand. That leaves two more files – we considered these the “Bad” one’s, but in reality – these were the files that we were working on yesterday and today. SO … by tomorrow they will be filled in and by Friday or Monday … we will hopefully get everything signed and even THOSE will be good files meaning REALLY my whole caseload is good. Easier done with 10 cases rather than 20-22, but nonetheless done is done.
Sister is so happy that we’re getting them in before the surveyor that she’s not upset about signing old forms that ought to have been signed. And, Rich was in there yesterday when we got almost the last of the papers signed. Oh man is there so much stress coming off the back of my mind … it’s unbelievable. I don’t care if it takes them another month to be in … anything just to have this stuff done! I think then that I will try to make it out to each of the DSPs and check out how they are doing with their goals. Some of them I had to stretch for and I didn’t like doing that. We’ll have to see … I don’t know how fast the operation is going to come up on me now. I don’t want to plan too much work … just don’t want to get behind on the Qnotes. I’d be so happy to get them all done in just one day TODAY!!!
As to other things. Hmm. Thursday. I don’t know, but we might have to do staff training today too? Damn forgot about that? Which Thursday are we? Wait is today Tuesday or Wednesday? How would I know? AHA!!! Only Wednesday … we checked the AOL newspaper. That’s all good for me! Little more time… You know when your office is all cleaned up … it’s like you want to be there a little more anyway. Sr. made notice to Rich yesterday that I’ve seemed to gotten over whatever her word was for the “funk.” She said earlier to me that she was going to have me move in – because I’d been up to the front so often yesterday. We told her it was a part of our new exercise program. Maybe she was referring to the weeks that would go by where we would say hello to her and not crawl out from the back until after everyone had left. Brrrr. Somewhat of a cave experience.
Said something about coming to get me next time if I don’t show up for a while, because sometimes it means that I’m lost. We’re going to be ok for a bit though now, right? Just gotta keep our head above and make it not too complicated? But, shoot … yesterday? We even cleaned up our notecards AND we put things away by priority colored dots … that was hard, but felt very, very good. I think we’re showing progress!!!
A 40 Calorie morning
Good morning. This is only going to be a short check in from me. I’ve been up for a little bit … but am taking up the habit of rereading. Just trying to figure out where we left off … It’s pretty rare to edit something though today I made a “to” into a “two.” It’s next to impossible for me to change the contents … Actually don’t think it’s been done cept a few times in the first year when we were still more shy about adding names. Ok, soooo.
We were at the keyboard until Rich came home last night and then I don’t sactly remember … oh I remember something … I had just broken off to look at a couple of “star stuff” and he had done some dinner stuff – I can’t remember if it were before or after, but we did - umm before, because that’s how we got separated – he went into the shower remember – yes ok, we watched him get undressed and take off the bandages and talked about his day and the game. THEN we got into star stuff. He made most of dinner before we went in the kitchen.
Then we wanted to talk about psychology stuff, but that was like pulling teeth. But, after a while, something happened … oh I know we sneeked a little of it in the backdoor while we were discussing the brown/black book. He didn’t want to really discuss that … he just wanted to say that it was his book to communicate his stuff to us and all, and we had to say that we understood that – took some paraphrasing and then say, but we thought great … now we had some things we wanted to add to it too.
I think things got pushed to the point that they were getting pretty silly. We broke first … like he was saying … Yeeks I can’t do it, but silly gets real easy around here sometimes. Then after - oh AND omelettes and steak were GREAT!!! I think our sweetie needed to be reminded how appreciated he was around here … but we’re trying to say it’s more than the things getting done … we were saying to that we needed some intellectual stuff sometimes to feed our mind. He’s much more apt to talk about practical matters. And, then its like … ok, let’s move on to the next thing. Ouch! Lucky his eyes sparkle!
He convinced us that we didn’t need popcorn and that he could just hold us. That usually works out – AND he got rid of the cord from outside so no more drafty doors WOOHOOO!!!, but we snuggled under my blanket anyway. Let’s see do I remember the movie? I know I fell asleep during it again. Umm, it was about this guy who was like making driver’s licences for illegal immigrants and goes to jail. Then he reads and gets educated in hotel management. Then he gets a jog in a nursing home with goofy male nurses, and then I think he makes things better, but again I fell asleep so I can’t be sure.
Rich put us asleep after we had our fudgicle … Lordy thank God for 40 calorie fudgicles … they seem to be making the whole world go a lot smoother. Hmm, kind of smooth now … just me typin a little and rich and the kitties snoozing … might just wanna sip coffee and go take the shower … thinking any day those inspectors will be here … Just like an hour away from finishing that last Qnote … a lot of work had to go into getting it in order. Wished those last couple annuals in order … We’ll make sure we have some perfect files and then try to hit those annuals before they get here … otherwise be looking forward to being on the other side … Pswhoo.
Ok so there may be skeletin in the closet
Good morning … it’s us! We’re up and at’em again. Cept it’s 7 am now and we woke up at 6 am and am just getting our coffee and cereal now … oh and it’s Sunday morning! AND sleeping beauty is still slumbering in snoreland hehehe. He got home while we were still up and he watched the last two bad children get ummm punished by Willy’s factory. He’s a good guy that way BUT then he put us to bed and that’s not REALLY good stuff, but a little good guy stuff. We wanted to talk about cars and kids and stuff, but he had on his ohhhh I’m soooo tired face, which meant hmm, like to go to the bathroom, read my book and fall asleep face uh huh oh yah I read YOU like a book! His life is just a little toooo easy! Hmpf!
Oh oh we’re hmpfing in the first paragraph … we better watch that.
I sorta like the new Willy and Charlie movie, but sorta didn’t. But, I guess in the long run most change is good, hmm? At least for reason? Well maybe this one was just a little thin … but, hey ok … if it has to be … but we were thinking that Johnny Depp needed to get laid! Uh huh that’s where we were going, so I guess before it falls on small ears … Yeeks umm better go.
Ok, we were saying … We read over yesterday’s entry from yesterday this morning. No real big surprises. I guess I could have read into the plot … yup yup. Ahh that and now we have our first cup of coffee … that’s got to be a good deal!
Hmm, should we say we have a “for the record” here? What do I think of our own writing? Ok, pretty sure we don’t think excessively of it or anything that would make us have a filled-head or anything. Pshwoo … gotta get rid of any of those preconceptions! It’s been bothering me over this last couple of days and I can’t remember now where it comes from. I was hearing from some source about people – maybe from an article about people who have written blogs over many years finally hanging it up and getting back to having a life. Maybe writing for shorter periods of time. Mostly, though it was a very short unappreciative view of the writing situation like how valueless could time writing on yourself be? I’ve been worrying over that.
Is my My “shtuff” just worthless self-appreciatory? They talked about that the majority of us loose our audiences soon on and then it becomes us and us. Well, actually for most me and me. But, same point. They might have gone onto some point of asking and asking deeper and senselessly deeper introspective questions on one’s own thought processes or cycles and the worthiness of that … maybe like if a tree fell in the forest and no one was there would there be a sound. I would though like to say for the record that there would be a sound.
I don’t want to go into a whole big thing here about that, just I do want to say that it does make a difference and sets up a dialogue that’s important. Then I was reading some personality disorders and there was one in particular where you talk to yourself as if you were someone you were watching and I thought that was interesting. I don’t know if I could find it again, but it seemed to explain the whole phenomena of blog or journal writing.
Yo! Over here! It’s now an unbelievable 3:30 pm and it’s still Sunday and I’m just starting page two. Oh man how unbelievable is that. Shoot hate that when it happens. I think that Rich is coming back not to late from now too. Hold on let me figure it out. Had to be there 11:30, left at 10:30 – three games 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, add an half hour for the ten minutes in-between games – that’s 3 and an hour to get home – that’s 4 pm … AHA! So I have an extra half hour if all goes well. Then maybe meet him in the shower …. Couldn’t go wrong there! But, we’re guessing 3 games … there’ll be no playing tonight … he did wrap his leg though before hand, so we’re hopin for the best
So … what we do? Not sure. I know that with Rich here, we had started to write, but then when he woke up we went into massage and then we came out with coffees and we might have watched his show with him. I remember he got the skinny cup so it had to be refilled several times. I also remember that we worked with him on the coffee table. It had become loose. So he took the big glass off it … I think it’s like 42” diameter. Then he got out the drill with those special square things and did stuff with the table upside down and then it was fixed. We got some wet paper towels and cleaned it up – especially those special gooky places that hold the glass an crumbs while your washing. Then we set for a bit working on getting the table and it’s edges before Rich put it back. Pswhoo what a beauty! Oh yes AND RICH!
Hehehe then Rich found a couple umm not so beauty places where the kitties had left some surprises. Oh well had the paper towels handy and he got some special anti-bacterial cleaning stuff. I don’t think there was a whole lot of housecleaning this morning. We finished the show and then he let me turn it off so we could talk about the kids and car show before he left for his games … we talked and talked pretty much up until he had to and including the time he was getting ready for the games.
We be making sure NOW DAYS he doesn’t forget his shirt! I think he’s leaving an extra one down in the car … he doesn’t want to get a reputation I think hehehe.
He says Chris is starting to get into wedding stuff for next year … I thought good for him! AND HER! Pswhoo! They are going to work on getting the hall, but I guess that a date hasn’t been set yet. Rich thought May or June 2009, but I thought wow tough date to book! I heard something too about Chris co-signing for Chrissy’s new car. I guess this is going to be really some real stuff!
Ok, it’s me again … We got lost a bit … AGAIN! Rich is home now but he’s in taking a shower. We followed him around abit and cleaned up the kitchen while he took down a load of clothes. We had written him a note about looking at the site we’ve given the most time to this latter part of the day. We’ve gone back and forth though reading many books on all kinds of mental disorders. I have a feeling for the series again. I’ve figured out some important things … I really think they are true even though we’re not qualified to make these kinds of diagnoses.
I think my mother can easily be diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder and my father can be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. I think both of them had strict mothers/or in my father’s case a strict nanny and both had alcoholic fathers. I believe at this point that they both went through physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse and neglect by family members as did my brother, sister and I. Maury states that he and his brothers were sexually abused by a neighbor girl. With my mother it is obvious, with my father all I had to do was remember back to the stories such as my father’s mother giving him a $1 when he was young to get out of the house – ride the street cars to avoid his father’s drunken anger around the house. The Garvey's as well have signs of mental illness including addictions of alcoholism and drug abuse.
Each of my siblings and me as kids developed personality disorders from our parents and my mother's family mistreatment. My father's family passed early and the paternal grandmother was enabling, but loving. Each of us have depression and anxiety, which my father was treated for, but my mother was not treated for. Each of the three of us kids have anxiety and depression disorders. In addition, my older brother (one year) has histrionic Personality disorder, I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, and my younger sister (one year) has borderline personality disorder. In addition, my sister and I have eating disorders, and she has post-traumatic stress disorder and I have Dissociative identity disorder. I also now believe that I married my husband and that he had like my mother Narcissistic Personality disorder and although I didn't get it at first … I think Rich does not have any disorder other than food, but he married someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Of our 6 kids – the only one that have diagnoses that I know is Jill’s anorexia and Maury’s depression. I worry about Thom – he carries much too much anger. But, for the most part, I think we've been lucky about the kids … time will tell.
